The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-15
THROUGH A BRIDGE.

THROUGH BRIDGE.
Thirty-Two People Killed and Sixty or Seven
ty Others More or Less Injured.
Special to the indianapolis journal.
Boston, March 14-The recent terrible disas-
ter at White-river bridge on the Central Yer
mont railway, was paralleled to-day, and. with
the exception of the fire feature, almost exactly
duplicated at Bussey bridge, on the Dedham
branch OF the Boston & Providence railroad. At
White river four cars were thrown from the
track upon bridge ninety feet above the river,
and went down with the bridge upon the ice be-
low, resulting in the death of thirty-two people
and the injury Of nearly forty more.
At Bussey bridge six cars were thrown
from the track upon dry bridge
forty feet above the highway, and, with
the bridge, crashed down into a street, resulting
in the death of, according to latest reports, thir
ty.two people and the woundina Of from forty
two cars passed safely over the bridge. and their
occupants escaped as by miracle. At Bussey
bridge the engine and three cars passed safely
over. and their human freight escaped with only
q jar
The scene Of to-day's awful calamity is seven
miles southwest from Beacon Hill Between
Forest Hill and Roslyndalo stations on the
Dedham branch, South street makes graceful
curve and passes under the railroad which
also curves at that point The bridge
crossed the highway diagonally at q
height of forty feet, and was
$50 feet long The point is upon the border of
the old Bussey farm, now the property of Har-
ward College and the seat of the Arnold arbore-
tum. At o'clock this morning the workingmen's
train, consisting of an engine. eight passenger
coaches and smokine-car, left Dedham for
Boston. Webster White was the engineer; con.
ductor Webster N. Drake, of Dedham. was in
charge of the train, and was assisted by Con-
ductors Myron W. Tllden. of Dedham, and Mr.
Stubhs. Immediately behind the locomotive
was a passenger car, and then seven other ordi-
nary day cars, most of them of the old fashioned
type two at least with cast-iron stoves
in the middle of the cars, and
the rear was brought up by the
smoking car-nine cars in all. Stops were made
trail and Roslyndale stations. and on leaving the
last station about three hundred people were on
board mostly workingmen and women, shop
and store girls. with lunch-b bags in hand, chat
ting and laughing p1errily, and a few business
men. The three forward cars were more dense
ly crowded than any of the others.
At just 7:15 o'clock the train rounded the
curve and passed upon the bridge. The engine
had just crossed the last abutment when En-
gineer White felt jar as if the train had struck
something. Hastily glancipg backward out of
his cab window. he saw, and heard as did the
engineer Of that fated Central Vermont train,
the rear cars and the bridge falling with a crash
into the abyss below. The three cars immedi-
ately following the engine had safely
crossed the bridge, but had been thrown
from the track. Engineer White at ouce un-
coupled his engine, and, putting on all the steam
possible, ran down toward Forest Hill station.
J. II. Lannon, fish dealer, was driving up from
Forest Hill toward the scene of the disaster
when the engine came down the track whistne
wildly The locomotive slowed down at the
Forest Hill crossing and Lannon stopped his
team. shouting to the engineer whats the
matterl'
my train has gone through Tin bridge; tele
graph to Boston" was the reply
Lannon went to the station with the message
| which was quickly flashed over the wires. Their
| he FASTENED back to his team and drove up t.
| the wreck, being the first outsider to reach ths
| spot. Arriving at Forest Hill, the engineer a.
| once rang in a fire alarm, which summoned ts
| the scene the fire departments of Roslyndale
| with steamer and hook and ladder truck from
Jamaica Plain. Having thoroughly aroused tn.
| surrounding communities and telegraphed tn.
| fact of the disaster to the officials, Enginee,
White remounted his engine and ran it back t.
| the wreck, where crowds were already gather
| ing The first three cars. numbered 50, Is ani
| %. stood derailed as he had left them. Tht
next car, which was 50 completely smashed tha
| its number could not be made out, went Il
pieces in the most extraordinary and inexplca
BILE way. Its roof went over, the body Of i